Everything’s Golden

My apologies to those who missed me…I just returned to the island from a month-long sabbatical/working vacation, which was the reason you haven’t seen a glint of a “Glitter” article for a couple of weeks. Staying at my secluded up-country getaway you can’t help but fall off the grid; it’s where the technological highway is in true reality a dusty dirt road. This is where my three grandsons will be four-wheeling and my dogs can run free in the woods and meadows, all while I’m mending fences or mowing hay (born and raised in urban Boston, my old buddies think I lost my mind when I traded my Grady-White for a tractor!) I also got to enjoy visiting friends & fan-damnly members who fortunately can only endure what I call “peace and quiet” for short periods of time. Leave it to my wife - she found a tennis club miles away in nearby Gainesville to break up her supposed monotony! 

My number, not exactly a county resort, has a dismal one-half reception bar showing on one’s iPhone or laptop on a good day. To get at least a full bar or two (if you are lucky!) you have to stand in the middle of one of my fields a hundred or so yards from the house. It’s no fun after dark keeping a look out for deer, tortoises, snakes and who knows what else is lurking out there!

I have to admit I enjoyed the lack of spam calls and junk mail due to the lack of modern civilized reception. The only “noise” out here is the wind, an occasional bellowing cow or early rising roosters, oh yes, and the occasional daytime gunfire from (I’m hoping) far off legal wildlife hunters. 

It’s a time to collect my wits, or what’s left of them, and make plans for the upcoming season and to especially prepare for the unusual wants and demands of my loyal clientele. Which, by the way, my local customers and visitors have been patronizing my jewelry store for more than two decades! This September will be the 25th Year Anniversary of my business “The Harbor Goldsmith of Marco Island”.

Living and surviving in business on this island and luckily, thriving since 1994, has been no easy task. Anyone who has lived here even longer can agree with me…hurricanes, supposed oil spills, economic downturns, becoming a city, a year-long and grueling mall renovation and lastly…a worldwide pandemic!

Everything’s Golden! It reminds me of an old sarcastic bumper sticker I had on my old beat-up BMW in the 80’s…“Business is great, people are terrific, life is wonderful!” 

Words to live by, but all and all, life is good, and I still enjoy creating fine jewelry. I’m pretty happy and being here on the rock most of the time sure beats living up north! Now well rested, I’m ready to give it my all for another ten months or so. While I’m not exactly a spring chicken, that’s country talk for not being exactly being all that young anymore - I’ll soon be pushing seventy years existing on this planet, so believe me there will be a few long weekend breaks to my country getaway just to recharge my aging batteries and keep my sanity this coming season.

I hope to attend the Jewelry International Showcase jewelry show in Miami early October to see what is new and exciting in jewelry trends and fashion; I regret not visiting Europe this past summer to really see what will be the hottest styles in the coming year. On a good note, many of my old business acquaintances and friends are usually there at the Miami show so they will bring their latest “wares” for me to inspect and purchase to bring back to the shop. It’s good to be back on the island, hope to see you all soon!

Richard Alan is a designer/goldsmith and owner of The Harbor Goldsmith, Marco’s “Island Jeweler” since 1994. He welcomes your questions and comments about All That Glitters.